Sunday, September 28, 2014

100 Quilts for kids wrap up

Oh boy, it's been a month of wild sewing.  Seven completed quilt tops which will be donated to the McHenry County chapter of Project Linus.  Twenty pillowcases for Conkerr Cancer.  Hopefully these will bring some sweet dreams to the recipients.  The last finished quilt was the modern log cabin.  I used my basket of strings on this one.  Didn't matter what size, we just kept going round and round until the string was used up, then started a new one.  We kept doing rounds until we had 9.5 in blocks.   Fun fast and super sweet.  I still have 9 blocks left over that I wanted to turn into a quilt, but I just ran out of time.  I think the numbers are awesome and I had some wonderful helpers this year.  Can't wait for next year.
Modern Log cabin, all over stipple, glide on top, magna glide bobbin, hobbs 80/20 batting - even kitty wants to help
nice cherry backing
And with binding - one went to project linus one went n the shop.  These were my favorite of the bunch
Here they are all together, some big ones, some for boys, some for girls, a medium and some little ones.

Love the low volume star next to the high volume star
I even worked on something not related to Project Linus - finished up this one for the shop.  I still have two kits cut up of the boy and girl version of this but just didn't have time to get them.  They'll have to keep until next year.
Pretty in Pink Tumbler - panto is Dew Drops - Patricia Ritter, Hobbs Polydown batting, Glide thread on top, magna glide bobbins
Pretty in Pink Detail
Cozy Flannel on the back
Don't forget to stop by all the linky parties - so inspiration out there!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

100 quilts for kids - 1 more week

I made 2 more big star quilt tops, love it in the primary colors polka dots.  I think this one is definitely gender agnostic.  It's really hard for me to make a quilt that can work for a boy or a girl, but this one I think I got it!  The frilly girly ones are no problem at all, the boy quilts a bit harder but still definitely do able, but one that fits for both, well I just stare and stare at the stash and say "but how???"  And the last of the pillow cases are done.  Double stars and rainbows!


The totals for this week - just about done, this is amazing what we got done!!
Pillowcases 20 (+5 from last week) for Conker Cancer
Quilts ready to go 7 (+1 from last week) - Project Linus
Quilts ready to quilt 1
Quilts cut and ready to sew 1
1 week left!!

Oh and I have someone on the design wall that's not even related to 100 quilts for kids nor conker cancer.  Yep that's right.  I had a layer cake of shirting material that has been laying on my self for far too long.  So I cut it up and made some QSTs.  Hmmm not all that impressive I know, and I'm not really sure what I will do with them, but at least they are in a different form that they have been for the past year or so!  Don't forget to check out all the linky parties during the week, lots of inspiration out there.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

I need a nap! Four finishes this week!

I can't believe everything that got done this weekend.  I had 4 quilts on the ready to be quilted list - they got done!  Two more pillowcases that are just super cute and another top waiting to be quilted.  Take a look:
Big Star 
Big Star Back - love flannel on the back, such great definition
Disappearing Hour Glass (DHG) - All Flannel
quilted with stars
Extra Block on the back, I think I like the back better than the front :)
Jelly Roll Jam Baby Quilt
Super Cute panto, flowers leaves and swirls, all those busy fabrics and you can't see it, but it is really cute
Jelly Roll Jam Back - still can't see it, cozy flannel on the back
Ok here's the specs on the quilts complete - all these are for 100 quilts for kids.  Big Star free pattern here .  Pantograph is Double Bubble by Patricia Ritter.  I thought that worked well with the polka dots.  I actually made two of these.  One is going to Project Linus the other to a not for profit day care center in Churubusco, IN. Glide thread on top, and magna glide bobbin thread.  There was a scrap of polyester batting that I used for this, might be Hobbs Poly down, looks like a bit of loft on this one.

DHG Pattern free here  I used a bunch of flannel scraps from different backings on this, front and back. The quilt is all flannel, definitely has the snuggle factor that's for sure.  Pantograph is Simply Stars by Stonehouse quilting.   Glide thread on top, and magna glide bobbin thread.  Hobbs 80/20 batting.

Jelly Roll Jam free pattern here Glide thread on top, and magna glide bobbin thread.  Hobbs 80/20 batting, nice flannel on the back. Pantograph is Flower Swirls by Debra Geissler.

How's that for a week of finishes!!

I did have some help this weekend, we had strings and blocks and things flying.  I pulled out the basket o'fun.  That is just so full of strings.  And we got this top.  The little guy was picking the strings, one ironing, one cutting and one sewing and before you know it, you have a 11 in blocks done, and then the quilt top is together.  Rather than doing just plain string blocks, we did string log cabins.  Started with a 2.5 in square then just kept going around and around until the block was the right size.  The log cabins we stopped at 9.5 in blocks (unfinished) then added 1.5 in white around them (unfinished size) and then a 1 in sashing.  20 blocks and you have a nice size quilt.  I love how bright and cheery this is, just like my helpers :)  This one is going to Project Linus as well.
What fun to have so many helpers!!
Log Cabin Strings
Two pillow cases which are so super sweet.  These are for Conker Cancer
Here's the totals for this week - 100 quilts for kids is running until 9/30, so I have time to see if  I can get a couple more.

  • Pillowcases ready to go 15 (+2 from last week) - for Conker Cancer 
  • Quilts ready to go (6) (+3 from last week) - for Project Linus
  • Pillowcases cut and ready to sew (6)
  • Quilts ready to be quilted (1)
  • Quilts cut and ready to sew (2)

Sunday, September 7, 2014

100 Quilts for kids progress

Here's the totals this week - the first two lines are really the only ones that matter - 3 more weekends to go! Thanks Arlene for the help!
  • Pillowcases ready to go 13 (+3) - for Conker Cancer 
  • Quilts ready to go (3) (+2) - for Project Linus
  • Pillowcases cut and ready to sew (8)
  • Quilts ready to be quilted (3)
  • Quilts cut and ready to sew (2)
3 more pillow cases for Conker Cancer
Big Star Baby Quilt
Charm Pack Cherry with Slate background fabric
Charm Pack Cherry - Glide thread on top, magna glide in the bobbin, hobbs 80/20 batting, celtic maze pantograph, flannel on the back
Charm Pack Cherry no background fabric

Glide thread on top, magna glide in the bobbin, hobbs 80/20 batting, Dazzle pantograph flannel backing 

I had a helper this weekend, what fun!!
These quilts are a nice size, 52x 62 so hopefully big enough and appealing to the bigger kids in need.  The pattern for the quilts is Charm Pack Cherry - Fatquarter shop free pattern Don't they both look so different.  I used a background fabric in one, the other just random colors everywhere.  I think I like it better without the background fabric.   The star quilt went together so quickly Big Star Baby Quilt Pattern.  3 more weeks to go  - if I can get this all done, there will be 8 quilts and 21 pillowcases - nice!!

Don't forget to check out the linky parties on the sidebar, that's how I found out about these awesome quilts! 

Friday, September 5, 2014

Finally off the frame Friday!

This one took a while, it was on the frame for a whole week, and I didn't work this week! I love to see scrappy 30s repo quilts, they always appeal to me.  I always wonder why almost no 30 repo's fabric.  I think it's because I don't  really care for each fabric individually.  There are very few that I would purchase a single cut of fabric.   But a fat quarter bundle - I think I have one and have never used it and not purchased anymore.  But every time I see a 30's quilt, I want one!  And this was no exception.  I really didn't get the colors right in the pictures, they are quite bright colors but not quite pastels either.  But don't they look beautiful all together?   I love Sandra's quilt.  This one has quilters dream cotton batting, premo soft 50 wt thread on top with magna glide 60 wt thread in the bobbin.    I used 12 bobbins of thread on this one, much smaller than the last, I think this one measures up at 65x 74ish.  But it's Friday and I'm calling it a finish!!  Oh the quilting - I made a template of the flower in the corners and used that in the blank squares, in the ditch around all the block and applique and echo on the applique.  Simple swirl back ground fill to make the applique really pop out.  I think it helps to bring out the pieced blocks too.  Simple continuous curve in the pieced blocks.